One of the hardest things to get used to in flying helicopters is staying in control in the hover, particularly when trying to touch down. Even with the benefit of VR giving you visual feedback from all around you, it’s still very hard to judge how to find the balance point. I’m sure that practice, practice will help eventually, but even so there’s something missing. For me, it’s the slight movements that a real helicopter pilot can sense in this phase of flight, and without a full motion rig, can’t be emulated. For a home simulator, the only thing I can think of that might come close to that would be something that could generate slight head movements counter to the direction the helicopter is starting to drift. Does anyone know if there is an app that can do something like this?
That will be vomit all over my joystick.
Question:
When you are hovering, or trying to, where are you physically looking? Down at your instruments, just outside the airframe or out to the horizon?
A bit of everything probably, but mostly at some external point reasonably distant, enough to be a stable reference
Ha ha, yes, that’s a risk! It would have to be very subtle, so that it would only be noticeable in the hover at pretty much zero forward speed.
that’s fair. At the risk of sounding like a nerdy guru, the helicopter really is just an extension of your body. Once you become helicopter, you’ll be able to sense all the virtual inconsistencies when attempting to hover and ultimately make the airframe do whatever you want
Also, adjusting your curves for your joystick (if you’re using one) should be able to help manage the micromovements
Absolutely true. But without the inner ear telling you which way the helicopter’s moving, you can’t ever become part of the machine. That’s why I’m looking for something that could do the same job, but in a slightly different way
Do radio controlled model helicopter enthusiasts have the same challenge?
Are you using a joystick that has a spring to keep it centred?
If so you may want or remove it or disable it with cable ties. This will make it far easier to make the constant tiny movements on the cyclic that are needed to keep it stable and controlled.
No, I’m using a microsoft sidewinder ffb stick, not powered.
Which helicopter or helicopters are you using/tried?
Mostly the Bell 47, also the RSP 125 and I’m thinking about the HPG 145
See I have been flying helicopters in flights sims for many years and consider myself pretty capable (without wanting to sound big headed!). That said the Bell 47 in my opinion is a little… I dunno, odd, feels a bit ‘off’.
Like you I use a FFB without the power (Logitech G940), mated with MFG Crosswind pedals, a Virpil collective attached to my seat and (until it broke) a Reverb G1 VR headset. Despite year of experience and pretty good equipment the Bell 47 does not feel quite right, seemingly a little laggy to respond to control inputs. Really to the point where it does not take much to upset it.
Note I have not flown for 3-4 months now as my headset is no more. I have not tried the 125 and do not have the 145.
To be fair the sim does not yet support helicopters in a native sense so it is perhaps a little harsh to speak too negatively about what has been achieved by third party developers. XP and DCS currently offer a better experience with respect to helicopter flight model, but not in an environment as provided by MSFS.
I really encourage you all that love helicopters to download the freeware H135, formally EC135, and use either the Xbox, basic or advanced flight control modes as you get used to it. I prefer to use locked ASW at 24 FPS which is 1/3 of 72 Hz in my quest 2 so that as I yaw using the tail rotor, the image outside is smooth and without major stuttering. It has great visibility, even downwards so that hovering and landing in VR is reasonably easy. What’s great in a helicopter is to fly very low stopping on top of structures or fly next to them in hover. Also I use the POV hat on the joystick to move my eye point view left right forward and aft just to be able to keep from leaning too much in the VR headset when seated.
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